


What He Didn't Know

by Chocolatequeen



Series: Doomsday ficlets and drabbles: hopeful [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bad Wolf Bay, Doomsday Month, F/M, Hopeful Ending, Jackie is the best mum, Post-Episode: s02e13 Doomsday, Pregnancy, based on a gif set
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 09:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7527592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocolatequeen/pseuds/Chocolatequeen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose wanted to tell him, but now that he was standing in front of her, looking so sad and desperate, she was afraid of what one more loss might do to him, so she lied. She didn't expect him to believe her.</p>
<p>Based on this <a href="http://chocolatequeennk.tumblr.com/post/147555823520/lastbluetardis-they-were-totally-shagging">gifset</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What He Didn't Know

**Author's Note:**

> As with all of these Doomsday ficlets, it starts in the middle of the scene. But we all know that scene well enough to know what's going on, right?

The Doctor looked behind her, to where her mum, dad, and Mickey stood watching. “You’ve still got Mr. Mickey then?” he said.

Rose rolled her eyes at the hint of jealousy still there when he said Mickey’s name–as if they hadn’t talked through that months ago, everything squared away before she and the Doctor slept together the first time. But, she supposed, Mickey did have something the Doctor didn’t. He could see her every day. So maybe the jealousy was warranted, this time.

She nodded. “There’s five of us now,” she told him, her heart beating faster. She hadn’t decided yet if she was going to tell him, but apparently, she was. “Mum, Dad, Mickey, and the baby.” 

The wild hope in his eyes made her heart flutter, but the devastation mixed in broke it. “You’re not…” He couldn’t bring himself to say the word.

Rose swallowed. Could she do it?

“No.” She laughed breathlessly. “It’s Mum.” 

Relief and disappointment crossed the Doctor’s face, and Rose wished more than ever that he could share this adventure with her.

“She’s three months gone. More Tylers on the way.” 

Even though she lied to save him, Rose didn’t think he would believe her. Surely he knew her well enough that he could see through the lie? Couldn’t his vaunted “superior biology” detect the minute changes to her body? They’d only been separated for three months–he couldn’t have forgotten what she’d looked like before already, could he? Then why couldn’t he see the differences?

For the rest of their two minutes, she waited for the penny to drop. When he disappeared without saying a word, she felt strangely disappointed. 

Rose crumpled and turned automatically for her mum, who was right there waiting to comfort her. “It’s all right, sweetheart,” Jackie crooned as Rose sobbed on her shoulder. “Just let it all out.” She paused for a moment, then asked, “Did you tell him?”

Rose shook her head. “I started to, but he looked so… I just couldn’t tell him he’d lost his whole family, again. So I told him it was you having a baby.” 

Jackie snorted. “No, ta,” she said. “Moving universes is enough stress for my life–I don’t need to add chasing after a toddler to that.” 

“But why couldn’t he tell I was lying?” Rose asked, her voice breaking on the last word. “I thought… I thought he’d know. Doesn’t he care? Is he already forgetting me?” 

Her mum pulled back and gave her an incredulous look. “Rose Tyler, that’s the most ridiculous… you’re being unreasonable. Are you honestly upset that he trusted you?”

Rose shifted. When she put it that way… She tugged on her shirt sleeves and stared down at the sand.

Jackie put her hand under Rose’s chin and forced her to look up. “What’s really going on in that head of yours?”

Rose pressed her lips together and tried to swallow back the tears, but a few leaked out. “I wanted him to know,” she sobbed. “I wanted to tell him. But I don’t want to do this without him.”

Jackie wrapped her in a tight hug. “You may not have him, but you won’t be alone,” she whispered fiercely. “And as soon as this baby’s born, we’ll start looking for ways to send you back to your Doctor.” 

 


End file.
